Japanese game companies, especially Capcom sure do come out with some weird stuff every once in a while don’t they? Zombie infested mansions, 2D side scrolling fighters who think they are ‘Viewtiful’, crazy men and women who fire blue bubbles and leap in the air with arms of fire oh, and don’t forget about those crazy lawyers…

… Wait … huh?

Phoenix Wright is a remake of a Japan only Gameboy Advance game placing you in the shoes of Phoenix Wright, a rookie lawyer looking to defend the innocent and punish the guilty. He’s a bit like Frank ‘The Punisher’ Castle, except without the excessive violence, facial stubble and tight trousers. Phoenix (or Nick to his buddies) is led by Mia Fey, an older and wiser attorney who has a taken Phoenix under her wing.

The style of the game is very similar to that of a visual novel or interactive cut-scene and is a little reminiscent of old PC point and click puzzle games (and the newer Zack and Wiki) presenting in 2d, you are mainly in first-person with the top screen depicting the events unfolding while the touch screen allowing options and current choices, where to move, talking to the person in front of you, searching the area or presenting evidence.

Each of the 5 cases in the game follow a similar pattern (apart from the first case, which is a tutorial) you spend each day either in court fighting your case or in the outside world looking for clues, puzzle solving and trying to progress the story.

The story truly is the heart and soul of this game and you can easily tell the localisation team did an absolutely stellar job. Each mood is set perfectly and jokes are actually ‘laugh out loud’ funny, not to mention the anime-esque facial expressions and scenes. The language in the game has adult themes, not in a abusive/swearing kind of adult more the murders and big words kind of adult. Its obvious from the start that this game isn’t for kids.

As touched on before, cases are split up into trial time and investigation time, investigations are simply point and click affairs. Sometimes it can be a little tedious to search for that one piece of evidence you’re looking for and can’t find but on the whole it is good fun and keeps you interested. You go to different locations by clicking ‘Move’ and its instant travel, this solves the problem of getting annoyed of going all over the place with no idea what to do. Most people have 3 or 4 different conversation topics which then lead you to go to different places or new items. It’s also quite good because you get to see characters outside the courtroom, not that they aren’t funny in the trial time…

Trial time is great with you against a prosecutor who in this game is mainly a character called Miles Edgeworth who has history with Phoenix (but Ill let you find out about that in-game). Edgeworth is known for never losing a case and will do anything for the win. When you and Edgeworth go back and forth arguing their cases you get some great stylized Japanese anime-esque cut scenes with blue flash in the background and huge face close-ups, it really adds to the character of the game and really makes you feel like the case is building up. The usual setup is the prosecution will call a witness and give a testimony, you in-turn then have to find the holes and lies in the testimony by using the evidence you have collected to prove your defendant not guilty. There is a very nice touch using the internal microphone allowing you to shout ‘OBJECTION!’ And ‘HOLD IT!’ in the court which feels great, however don’t forget where you and shout it on the bus… people think you’re crazy. The game really shines in the courtroom and the dialog keeps you engrossed and interested. Unfortunately sometimes you have all the answers in your head before the game lets you prove it.

While the games story is the main course in the banquet of greatness, the music is definitely the dessert. The games soundtrack is fantastic and hits all the right points at the right times. While in the courtroom trials you’re hit with hit speed music which makes you feel great, while in investigation mode you are given easier lighter music, shady characters have a gloomy track while main characters all have their own themes. I would definitely class Phoenix Wright’s OST as one of my favourites in videogame history. There are definitely some more gamers out there who agree with me due to the orchestral gigs coming up in Japan (more on that in the history of Ace Attorney)

The 5 cases of the game (the last of which is a brand new case Ill talk about later) take around 12/13 hours to complete overall. It’s no shocker there is no multiplayer as this is a basic port from its GBA predecessor, the only change is the 5^th case. The 5^th and last case is all new to the DS using some of its more useful features and is a taste of what the future games in the series will hopefully be like, still playing as Phoenix, you help a young girl named Ema Skye prove her sisters innocence. Ema (who appears in the 4^th game in the series but lets not confuse you for now) is training to be a C.S.I. and has all kinds of useful and new tools for the out-of-date Phoenix, namely a Finger Print Kit and Luminol. The Finger Print Kit is fairly obvious and is used nicely on the DS, simply select the kit and brush over the evidence you wish to find finger prints on using the touch screen. Once the object is covered in the powder, blow into the microphone to get rid of any excess. Luminol works well too, it’s used in the investigation mode and on evidence to find bloodstains that have been wiped away. These are displayed as red patches on screen and definitely add new depth to the game.

In addition to these nice extras is the ability to view any piece of evidence in 3D which is something the game was definitely lacking, this proves to be useful in cases and works well but I won’t give an example as not to spoil any puzzles for you.

Closing Comments;

Every few years a company brings out something really original, not nessecarily innovative but just really different from anything before it, Phoenix Wright is one of them. I have owned my DS since its release way back when, and Phoenix Wright is one of those titles that every DS owner should buy because it’s fun, involving and most importantly a good game. Although it’s a GBA port, it’s a great base for a good series. You won’t hear any objections from me about picking this up.

Score 9.3

+ Great story
+ Great characters
+ Excellent music
+ A truly original game for a original platform
+ Anyone can pick and enjoy

- 2D GBA port
- Lots and lots of text
- Needs a lot concentration